Border Churches Serve Vulnerable Migrants

Border Churches Serve Vulnerable Migrants | [View online]( [Give Now]( Advertisement [Local Church Outreach]( [CT Pastors]( [Subscribe]( [More on Outreach]( Wednesday, July 17, 2019 Border Churches Serve Vulnerable Migrants It’s hard to look at the images of overcrowded detention centers and squalid conditions at the border. Immigration and asylum policy is a complicated issue that often divides Christians, but all of us can agree that all migrants, regardless of legal status, have dignity and worth. But while we wait for Congress to fix this issue, evangelical churches are serving the most vulnerable. Baptist Press [profiled]( one church that is part of a denomination-wide effort: In late April this year, West Brownsville Baptist began serving as an overflow respite center when the city's two other emergency shelters, operated by the Catholic Church, reached capacity, and the mayor and city commissioners approached [Carlos] Navarro for help. Navarro said yes and West Brownsville members converted Sunday school rooms and other spaces to shelter migrants. … "They are sending us the most vulnerable, moms and dads with children, and single moms with children," Navarro said, noting that migrants from South and Central America, India, Pakistan and Africa have sheltered at the church after clearing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “They are sending us the most vulnerable”—a great way to describe the mercy mission of the church. While the politicians jockey for soundbites, I’m glad many churches are on the ground at the border meeting human need. Let’s pray for our leaders to fix this badly broken system. [How Evangelicals Can Help at the Border]( I’m not sure anyone has reported on this issue with more detail and nuance than Christianity Today’s Bekah McNeel. Her [piece]( from earlier this month is a must read. She interviewed Kathryn Freeman from World Relief on ways churches around the country can help: She recommends that Christians who want to support church-specific work contact their denomination to find local congregations with immigrant outreach along the border and channel donations to those churches, many of which partner with other trusted nonprofits. In Texas, the organizations with the greatest capacity to mobilize and navigate the bureaucratic hurdles of receiving asylum seekers are Catholic, namely Catholic Charities. [Annunciation House]( in El Paso and [Sister Norma Pimentel’s Respite Center]( (which was closed and will be relocated) in McAllen have been the two most well-known respite houses for asylum seekers released on the border. Also in El Paso, a faith-based community center, Ciudad Nueva, is expanding to minister directly to immigrants, in addition to at-risk youth. The nonprofit supports temporary shelters through a ministry called El Paso Encounters and has created an [Amazon wishlist]( for their most needed items. [Daniel Darling] [Daniel Darling] [Daniel Darling](mailto:krohane@christianitytoday.com) Advertisement More from CT Pastors [Seminary Grads: God’s Name for You Matters More Than Your Masters]( [Seminary Grads: God’s Name for You Matters More Than Your Masters]( A word of encouragement for recent theology graduates. W. David O. Taylor [Read More]( [Church Discipline for Repetitive Sin]( [Church Discipline for Repetitive Sin]( How do you work pastorally with people who are likely to fall again? Kevin Miller [Read More]( [The Turbulent Calling of Bivocational Ministry]( [The Turbulent Calling of Bivocational Ministry]( Three honest stories about its rewards and challenges. Linda W. Perkins [Read More]( Related Newsletters [CT Pastors Newsletter]( Each weekly CT Pastors issue equips you with the best wisdom and practical tools for church ministry. [Sign Up Now]( [Small Groups Newsletter]( Regular access to innovative training resources, Bible-based curriculum, and practical articles. [Sign Up Now]( Advertisement Follow Us: [Follow on Facebook]( [Follow on Twitter]( Need fresh, practical ideas for reaching your community? Each week, you’ll receive a wealth of invaluable ideas and resources for the outreach-oriented church leader. Local Church Outreach Delivered free via email to subscribers Weekly. [Subscribe]( to this newsletter. You are currently subscribed as {EMAIL}. [Subscribe]( to more newsletters like this. Manage your [email preferences]( or [unsubscribe](. Copyright ©2019 Christianity Today 465 Gundersen Drive, Carol Stream, IL 60188 All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Advertise]( | [Subscribe to CT]( | [Give Now]( Christianity Today is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.